The V edition of the “UNESCO Creative Cities Network” has come to an end in St. Petersburg.
It brought together participants from ten Russian cities and seven foreign countries, including the Republic of Namibia.
The founder of the ENK Public Art Group, Emmanuel Enkara, addressed a roundtable on the social role of public art.
An eventful three-day business and cultural program was held within the framework of the forum. Across seven roundtables and a plenary session, participants discussed new paths, creative clusters, public art, souvenirs and gastronomy.
Africa remains one of the most active components of Russia’s cultural diplomacy. It has become a recurring theme at Russia–Africa summits.
Recently, a large delegation of representatives from African countries took part in the IV Congress of the International Russophile Movement (IRM) in Moscow.
Elena Galaktionova, Director of the Department for Multilateral Humanitarian Cooperation and Cultural Relations of the Russian Foreign Ministry and Secretary General of the Commission of the Russian Federation for UNESCO, spoke about this on the sidelines of the forum.
“The meeting was a productive exchange of ideas: we came together to discuss what makes each of our countries of interest to the other, and which projects we can jointly implement. Yet, since our African colleagues are remarkably creative and richly endowed with a diversity of talents, it assumed something of the character of a concert, to the delight of all participants. We love and value the African countries, all of which are very distinct, precisely for this creative spirit, vitality, and their readiness to share their talents with us so generously,” said Elena Galaktionova.
A particular pillar of these relations, in her words, is students.
“Russia is home to a great many students from African countries; we see them at universities across the country. I know that St Petersburg too hosts a large community of African students. Many of them remain in our country, finding employment in their field of specialisation. Many return to their countries armed with this knowledge and experience of interacting with our country, a deep understanding of our culture, and make a fruitful contribution to the development of bilateral relationships”, she said.
